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Traders unlikely to realise 300,000 tonnes of...
2008-04-07 10:21:23
By Gadiosa Lamtey
The country`s target of importing 300,000 tonnes of maize to offset food shortage is unlikely to be realised because of world-wide usage of the cereal for fuel-production.
In an exclusive interview with `The Guardian` recently in Dar es Salaam, the Minister for Agriculture Food Security and Co-operatives, Prof. Peter Msolla said that only eleven businessmen have imported 6500 tonnes of the cereal, which is by far inadequate, compared to actual demand.
The government had granted permit to several traders to import cereals to avert food crisis currently facing a number of districts in the country.
However, there are reports that key producers like America and western countries are growing the crop for bio-fuel production instead of human consumption.
As a result, importers granted permit to import maize from these countries to alleviate food shortage, have been unable to get sufficient quantities of the product.
Maize for bio-fuel production is becoming increasingly lucrative and profitable venture, creating shortage of maize for human consumption in poor countries.
But the government has urged local farmers to produce more cereals for human consumption to overcome the acute shortage instead of waiting for imported maize from outside.
Prof Msolla said while growing of cereals by local farmers is going on, local importers should find alternative ways of importing maize to complement government`s initiative to offset serious food shortage.
Currently, 17 districts are facing food crisis, and the government had already distributed 4430 tonnes to respective regions, an exercise which the minister said would proceed until the situation is stabilised.
The government announced recently that importation of over 300,000 tonnes of grain would offset food shortage in some districts. Districts in the Southern part of the country are said to be hardest hit.
Early in February this year, before dissolution of the cabinet, Minister of State in the Prime Minister`s Office, Dr Batilda Burian, had told reporters that 21 districts were earmarked for immediate supply of food relief.
According to the minister, the government had waived taxes on food imports to beef up supply to the national food reserve.
The Prime Minister`s Office has a special task force, Tanzania Disaster Relief Committee (TANDREC), that coordinates activities of different organs, institutions and departments in addressing various disasters including food shortage.
So far, the districts that have received varying quantities of food are Iramba District (62 tonnes of millet), Kilwa (57 tonnes of maize), Liwale (145 tonnes of maize), Nachingwea (50 tonnes), Mufindi and Ludewa districts (3 and 2.1 tonnes of maize respectively).
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